Be in the know, before you go.

Be in the know, before you go.

Buying a home is a big decision, are you ready? A home is the biggest financial investment most of us make. The more you know about how to buy one, the more you ll save. Take this quiz to see if you are ready to get out there and shop! 1. True or false: Buying a home is the best investment one can make. 2. What are the components of a typical mortgage payment? a. Property taxes, Investment, Theft insurance b. Principal, Interest, Taxes, Property insurance c. Principal, Investment, Taxes, Property insurance d. Private mortgage insurance, Interest, Theft insurance 3. Joe and Jill each buy a house, and each take out a $100,000 loan. Joe takes out a conventional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, Jane opts for a conventional 15-year mortgage. Which of the following correctly summarizes how Joe's mortgage is different than Jane's? a. Joe's 30-year mortgage has a higher interest rate, lower monthly payments and higher overall interest payments. It builds equity more slowly than Jane's mortgage. b. Jane's 15-year mortgage has a higher interest rate, higher monthly payments and higher overall interest payments. It builds equity more slowly than Joe's mortgage. c. Joe's 30-year mortgage has a lower interest rate, lower monthly payments and lower overall interest payments. It builds equity more quickly than Jane's mortgage. 4. True or False: You must secure your mortgage through your bank institution? 5. Which of the criteria listed below has bearing on whether a person is qualified to get a mortgage on a property. a. Employment and income b. Debt-to-income ratio c. Cash reserves and assets d. All of the above

Buying a home is a big decision, are you ready? 6. True or False: Mortgage shoppers who get pre-approved rather than pre-qualified have the negotiating advantage when bidding on the house of their dreams. 7. Which of the following would help you to meet the 80 percent loan-to-value test and remove PMI from your mortgage payments? a. Excellent payment history and extra payments towards principal. b. Renovation of your home. c. Getting a competitive market analysis of your home s value. 8. True or false: Borrowers with long-term, fixed-rate loans will always pay the same loan amount each year. 9. What s the main difference between a property s appraised value and assessed value? a. Nothing, appraised value and assessed value mean the same thing. b. The appraised value will determine how much a lender is willing to lend you, while the assessed value determines your property taxes. c. Appraised value is the value returned by the county property appraiser s office, while the assessed value is the fair market value determined by your property appraiser. 10. True or False: You should not open any new debt while being in the process for a home mortgage.

Being in budget. The Rules of Home Affordability Mortgage lenders use something called qualification ratios to determine how much they will lend to a borrower. Although each lender uses slightly different ratios, most are within the same range. Some lenders will lend a bit more, some a bit less. We have taken average qualification ratios to come up with our three rules of home affordability. Your Maximum Mortgage Payment (Rule of 28): The golden rule in determining how much home you can afford is that your monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 28 percent of your gross monthly income (your income before taxes are taken out). For example, if you and your spouse have a combined annual income of $80,000, your mortgage payment should not exceed $1,866. Your Maximum Total Housing Payment (Rule of 32): The next rule stipulates that your total housing payments (including the mortgage, homeowner s insurance and private mortgage insurance (PMI), association fees and property taxes) should not exceed 32 percent of your gross monthly income. That means for the same couple, their total monthly housing payment cannot be more than $2,133 per month. Your Maximum Monthly Debt Payments (Rule of 40): Finally, your total debt payments including your housing payment but also auto loan or student loan payments and minimum credit card payments should not exceed 40 percent of your gross monthly income. In the above example, if the couple with $80k income wanted the highest mortgage payment they could get, they could have up to $533 in other debt (car payments or credit cards). This rule means that if you have a big car payment or a lot of credit card debt, you won t be able to afford as much of a mortgage payments. In many cases, banks won t approve a mortgage until you reduce or eliminate some or all other debt. How to Calculate An Affordable Mortgage Now that you have an idea of how much of a monthly mortgage payment you can afford, you ll probably want to know how much house you can actually buy. Although you cannot determine an exact budget until you know what interest rate you will pay, you can estimate your budget. Assuming an average six percent interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your mortgage payments will be about $65 for every $10,000 borrowed. $1,866 / $65 = 28.71 28.71 x $10,000 = $287,708 (Your maximum mortgage amount)

Are you rolling the dice? FICO scores are calculated from different data in your credit report. There are 5 key components that make up a credit score. The importance of the categories determine how it is weighed and your credit score is determined: Payment History-35% impact Paying your debt on time proves to weigh the greatest. Any late payments, judgements, or charge-offs all negatively impact your score. Recent delinquencies impact greater than mishaps in the past. Amounts Owed-30% impact Try to keep credit balances as close to zero as possible. Paying off revolving debt (credit cards) monthly sends an excellent message to creditors and in turn increases your score. Credit History- 15% impact Though it s important to have trade lines, it s also important to have seasoned liabilities. Showing creditors your ability to repay debt over a length of time proves that you are an excellent credit candidate and shows a positive reflection on your credit score. New Credit- 10% impact Recently opened accounts and the type of account can adversely effect your credit. Remember the longer the relationship the better the score. Types of Credit- 10% impact Mortgage debt has the most positive impact, installment loans second and revolving debt third. Pay off revolving debt monthly, and pay as requested for other loans and your score will impress.

The Down-low Loan program Downpayment Mortgage Insurance Funding Fee/Upfront Premium VA Zero Zero 2.15% FHA 3.5% 1.75% 1.35% Conventional Min 5%.78% +/- Zero VHDA 97% 3% Zero Zero VHDA FHA Plus Zero (2nd mortgage up 1.75% 1.35% to 101.5%) USDA Zero.25% 1.35% VA: No downpayment & no monthly mortgage insurance FHA: As little as 3.5% downpayment Conventional: With up to 95% financing VHDA 97%: As little as 3% downpayment & no monthly mortgage insurance VHDA FHA PLUS 101.5% 1st mortgage of 96.5% and 2nd mortgage of 3.5-5% of sales price to help fund your downpayment & closing cost USDA: Perfect for rural buyers, with up to 102% financing and low cost monthly MI.

Source of downpayment. If you re like most people, the down payment on your house will likely be one of the biggest cash investments that you ll make. There are a number of ways that you can get that amount of cash together. Savings Buyers often save regularly for years by reducing expenses, taking a second job or getting a smaller apartment if they are renting. Gift If you accept a cash gift, you ll need to get it clearly in writing that the person making the gift has no financial interest in or obligation toward the property. A bank will not accept it if your gift is really a loan. Proceeds from sale of existing home If you sell your home before you buy your next home, you may have proceeds from that sale that can be applied to the down payment on your new home. Special programs State and local governments offer down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income homebuyers. Many nonprofit organizations also offer down payment assistance. Contact your bank or your state housing authority for information on these programs. If you choose conventional financing (a loan other than FHA*, VA, etc.) and you have less than 20% down, you will be required to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). PMI covers the bank if you stop paying your mortgage and default on your loan. PMI generally costs less than 1% of the outstanding loan balance, and it s usually combined with your monthly mortgage payment. It can add up to many thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. When you ve paid enough principal to own more than 20% of the house, you can apply to have the PMI dropped. Loan program Loan Amount APR Mortgage Insurance Est. Principal & Interest VA 100% 100,000 4.313% Zero $487.68 FHA 96.5% 100,000 5.751% $107.69 $576.45 Conventional 80% 100,000 4.268% Zero $381.93 VHDA 97% 100,000 4.240% Zero $463.09 VHDA FHA Plus 105,000 5.743% $113.08 $622.84 USDA 100% 100,000 4.836% $33.74 $520.89 Mortgage payments based on 4.000% interest rate. Taxes, insurance, and monthly mortgage insurance are not included in payment or APR. Downpayments required on FHA, Conventional, VHDA and USDA. Rates and program are subject to change due to unforeseen market conditions,borrowers credit profile & eligibility requirements. All payments, PITI, are based on 360 monthly payments. APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Total monthly obligation could be higher.

The event of buying a home. Become Pre-Approved by Monarch Mortgage It s imperative to know what you can afford before you start your home search Start your homebuying search Work with your real estate agent decide on the best approach to get achieving your home search goals Write the contract Find the perfect home, write the contract and negotiate the deal Ratify the contract Once the deal is negotiated to a compromise, order the inspections Mortgage Must Have s Make sure you work closely with your loan officer, provide all the supporting documentation to help expedite the loan process Lender orders the appraisal Choose your settlement Decide on who you would like to close with an attorney or title company Congratulations you are now a healthy homeowner!

Step 1. Approval Process: Contact your Monarch Mortgage lender. Apply online, by telephone, or face-to-face. While applying for your mortgage be sure to have your supporting documentation together to help ease the process of approval along. Standard items needed for approval process: 1. Copies of Federal Tax Returns (1040s) for 2012 and 2013. All pages. I do not need any State returns. (2011 if using VHDA) 2. Copies of all W-2 s for 2012 and 2013. Please provide local street addresses. (No PO Box addresses for employers). 3. Copies of current pay stubs covering the past 30 days, preferably with YTD earnings being reported. If your client doesn t get a hard copy, they should get an online pay stub from their employer, covering the past 30 days, including YTD earnings. 4. Copies of their most recent bank statements covering the past sixty days for all checking, savings, stocks, bonds, CDs, IRAs, 401Ks, mutual funds, etc.- all pages. If they do not get a monthly hard copy, then the next option would be for them to get some kind of online printout that would cover the past 60 days, including showing their name and account number and 60-day activity on the printout. If they receive quarterly statements, please provide the most recent quarterly statement- all pages.

Step 2-4. How can a real estate agent help you? When it s time to sell your house, or to buy a new one, a real estate agent will be able to provide you with knowledge and experience that you can count on. An experienced real estate agent has been helping people buy and sell homes in your market, and will know what price is right. Working with a real estate agent will provide you with the confidence, experience, and knowledge that you deserve during this complicated...yet enjoyable process. Why do you need a real estate agent? Quite simply a realtor provides you with the knowhow and can broker the best deal for the lowest price. Look for a buyer agent who has experience in your market. Real estate agencies offer a wide variety of portals to help with your shopping needs. Internet savy, check out our online MLS feed, or if you are more of a touchy/feely type... Let s get in the car and find the area that best suits your needs. Interview your real estate agent. Knowledge is power, get to know their experience and credentials. They will know how much you should pay for any type of home in your market and have the experience to protect you. Your real estate agent should be able to provide you with information about local schools, crime rate and traffic, and should prepare a property value study if you are interested in a certain home.

Finding the perfect home. From Kitchen to Bedrooms, buying a house can be a stressful yet exciting experience. Before you start shopping, dig deep to figure out what you really want to have in your home to what you are willing to compromise for. Remember to think beyond the cosmetics of paint, that s an easy change. If you are heart is set on a formal dining room don t settle for less but understand that sometimes in order to get the right home you may have to compromise on things that aren t a deal breaker. Front Yard Back Yard Garage ( Cars) Patio/Deck Pool Family Room Formal Living Room Formal Dining Room Eat-in Kitchen Laundry Room Attic Jacuzzi Bath Wood Flooring Upgraded Appliances Granite Counters Must Have Would LIke Willing to Compromise Not Important Once you have narrowed down your search to your top 3. List your top 3 reasons that you Love that home. Compare the list to the chart above. HOUSE #1 1. 2. 3. HOUSE #2 1. 2. 3. HOUSE #3 1. 2. 3.

ABC of Real Estate. Understanding the terms will help the buying process flow with ease. Appraised value An opinion of a property s fair market value, based on an appraiser s knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property. Appraisal is based primarily on comparable sales. Closing This has different meanings in different states. In some states a real estate transaction is not consider closed until the documents record at the local recorders office. In others, the closing is a meeting where all of the documents are signed and money changes hands. Condominium A type of ownership in real property where all of the owners own the property, common areas and buildings together, with the exception of the interior of the unit to which they have title. Contingency A condition that must be met before a contract is legally binding. For example, home purchasers often include a contingency that specifies that the contract is not binding until the purchaser obtains a satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified home inspector. Earnest money deposit A deposit made by the potential home buyer to show that he or she is serious about buying the house. Equity A homeowner s financial interest in a property. Equity is the difference between the fair market value of the property and the amount still owed on its mortgage and other liens. Flood insurance Insurance that compensates for physical property damage resulting from flooding. It is required for properties located in federally designated flood areas. Grantee The person to whom an interest in real property is conveyed. Grantor The person conveying an interest in real property. Hazard insurance Insurance coverage that in the event of physical damage to a property from fire, wind, vandalism, or other hazards. Home inspection A thorough inspection by a professional that evaluates the structural and mechanical condition of a property. A satisfactory home inspection is often included as a contingency by the purchaser. Homeowner s insurance An insurance policy that combines personal liability insurance and hazard insurance coverage for a dwelling and its contents. HUD-1 settlement statement A document that provides an itemized listing of the funds that were paid at closing. Items that appear on the statement include real estate commissions, loan fees, points, and initial escrow (impound) amounts. Each type of expense goes on a specific numbered line on the sheet. The totals at the bottom of the HUD-1 statement define the seller s net proceeds and the buyer s net payment at closing. Legal description A property description, recognized by law, that is sufficient to locate and identify the property without oral testimony. Purchase agreement A written contract signed by the buyer and seller stating the terms and conditions under which a property will be sold. Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) A consumer protection law that requires lenders to give borrowers advance notice of closing costs. Right of first refusal A provision in an agreement that requires the owner of a property to give another party the first opportunity to purchase or lease the property before he or she offers it for sale or lease to others.

Step 5. Choose a settlement agent. Savvy Buyers are looking for well-priced properties which may now be available to them. Not wanting to loose out to a competitive Buyer, many borrowers want to know how to make settlement go as smoothly, and quickly, as possible. The right choice of a settlement agent is one way in which you can speed up your closing. The settlement agent is the person who coordinates all the paper-pushing that goes into a closing. Generally, the agent has some sort of connection to a title insurance company. Many borrowers also are not aware that they have the right to choose title insurance agents. Under the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the seller cannot require you to buy title insurance from a particular title company. The lender may request that you use a title company it finds acceptable, and it likely will recommend some companies, but in most cases you have the choice. The lender usually always agrees with your pick. Closing is about preparation and service. Expect good service, and ask for it. Making the right choice ahead of time will be the magic key that opens the door to a speedy settlement. Ask how quickly a title search can be performed. Ask the turnaround time for issuing a title commitment or title report. Ask who will communicate with the lender, appraiser, real estate agent, inspector and lawyer, if one is involved. Some title officers or closing agents don t have assistants to help them get the reports out quickly. They can become bogged down with files, and yours may be on the bottom of the stack. Ask if the title company or agent uses a transaction-management system or other means of internal or Internet software system to transmit information, or even documents, electronically. Many lenders have what is called digital document delivery systems, which means they can transmit your loan documents to your closing agent by way of the computer. The title company can receive your loan documents almost instantaneously. Funds to close escrow can be received electronically. What this means is that if there is a change to the documents, a last-minute correction or addition, it can be handled within minutes. The five major national title insurance companies are Fidelity National Financial Inc., First American Corp., LandAmerica Financial Group, Old Republic Title Co. and Stewart Title Co. Among them, they issue about 90 percent of the title insurance policies, said James Maher, executive vice president of the Washington-based American Land Title Association. Regional and one-state companies handle the remaining policies, he said. If you use a lawyer to handle your closing, you will want to ask how frequently the law office handles title searches, how large the staff is that will process your file and how quickly the closing date can be arranged. Many law offices do not rely on real estate closings as a primary source of income, but rather as a way to accommodate clients or to generate further business. Be sure your lawyer has the staff available to quickly process your file. Ask if the lawyer will provide the closing documents to you one day before closing. If you find a closing agent or title company that offers you a savings on title insurance, closing costs, title exam, search or courier fees, let your lender know. They may agree to match those cheaper fees. Get your quotes in writing, and present them to your lender. Your savings could be substantial.

Basic timeline of expectations. Approval Process Ratified Contract & Locking of Interest Rate Home Inspection Termite Inspection Appraisal Ordered Notification of any outstanding Conditions Settlement Scheduled Congratulations!